Latest news with #TrishaPasricha
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
What's the best time for breakfast? Harvard doctor shares three rules
If you've been skipping breakfast or delaying it until mid-morning, you might want to rethink your routine. According to Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Harvard Medical School , when you eat could matter just as much as what you eat. And the best time to have breakfast? As early as possible. Dr. Pasricha explains that our bodies are naturally better equipped to process food in the morning. Shortly after waking, insulin levels are more responsive, helping manage blood sugar spikes more effectively. But by evening, melatonin, the hormone known for regulating sleep, also begins interfering with insulin sensitivity, making the same bowl of oatmeal far more likely to spike your blood sugar, she points out. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Private Jet - The Prices May Surprise You! Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo Don't skip breakfast She further warns that skipping breakfast doesn't just throw off your blood sugar—it may also lead to memory issues and unhealthy food choices later in the day. Instead, she recommends starting your day with a wholesome, balanced meal like a veggie omelette or a classic oatmeal bowl with fruits and nuts. Veggie omelette A paper published by Harvard Health Publishing emphasises that breakfast truly lives up to its name, it's the first meal that "breaks the fast" after a night of rest. While we sleep, our bodies work quietly behind the scenes, digesting the previous night's meal. By morning, our glucose levels, critical for brain function and physical energy, are naturally low and need replenishing. Skipping breakfast, according to the paper, disrupts our body's natural circadian rhythm of feeding and fasting. It throws off metabolic cues and can interfere with how effectively our body fuels itself throughout the day. For this reason, the paper recommends eating something, even a small meal, within an hour of waking. It's a simple but powerful way to help your body reset and start strong. Oatmeal with berries Another paper submitted to Harvard Health Publishing suggests simple, nutritious breakfast ideas to fuel your body and brain: - Plain yoghurt topped with fruit and nuts - Oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts - Whole wheat or rye toast with nut butter - Black beans with a whole wheat or corn tortilla
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Harvard doctor's experiment can boost your happiness in one minute. A startup CEO is already practicing it
Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a Harvard physician, stepped outside the clinic to test if talking to strangers boosts happiness—and science backed her up. Her playful public experiment mirrors IITian entrepreneur Harsh Pokharna's Jaipur meetups, revealing that heartfelt conversations, not just data or design, might be the next big wellness hack in our increasingly disconnected world. Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha proved that one-minute chats with strangers can boost happiness, echoing a University of Chicago study. In a parallel tale, startup CEO Harsh Pokharna found the same truth during spontaneous meetups in Jaipur, reinforcing that real connection starts offline. (Representational image: iStock) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Startup CEO Who Tried Something Similar Without Meaning To Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads More Than Just Small Talk, A Public Health Tool? It wasn't a research lab or a stethoscope that Harvard doctor Trisha Pasricha turned to recently—it was the simple, brave act of chatting with strangers while waiting in line. A physician, an instructor at Harvard Medical School , and the Ask a Doctor columnist for The Washington Post, Dr. Pasricha tested a charming scientific theory on the bustling platforms of Boston's Green Line: that one-minute conversations with strangers can actually make you happier.'It is scientifically proven that you can boost your happiness in one minute by talking to a stranger,' she began in a video she shared on Instagram, proceeding to engage unsuspecting commuters in playful and warm exchanges. Whether she was joking about being a Celtics fan or asking if someone wanted to be a pediatrician, the result was almost always the same—people smiled, talked, and lingered in conversations they hadn't planned experiment wasn't just a cute social video. It was rooted in evidence. According to, several studies, including one from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in 2014, showed that people who spoke to strangers during their daily commute felt more positive afterward—even though they originally assumed their fellow travelers wouldn't be interested.'I had a great time,' Dr. Pasricha said, visibly moved by the simplicity of connection. 'Most people were down to just keep talking for minutes and minutes on end.'Interestingly, this scientific truth found a surprising echo in the world of tech entrepreneurship. Harsh Pokharna, the CEO of Bengaluru-based fintech startup OkCredit and an IIT Kanpur alumnus, unintentionally embarked on a social experiment of his own. During a break in his hometown Jaipur, Pokharna posted a casual Instagram story inviting people to hang out. What began as boredom soon turned into an unexpectedly fulfilling journey of human connection From random DMs to heartfelt discussions about therapy, dating, and dreams, Pokharna's days became filled with spontaneous meetups that mirrored the spirit of Pasricha's scientific adventure. 'There were no rules, no agendas—just organic human connection,' Pokharna noted, as he sipped coffee, played badminton, and took walks with strangers who soon felt like old Pasricha and Pokharna's experiences—one rooted in medical science, the other in lived curiosity—prove the same point: in an era dominated by curated lives and digital walls, the art of spontaneous conversation is a quiet rebellion. It's free, it's freeing, and it might just be the one-minute happiness hack we all dare at the end of her video is more than an Instagram caption—'I dare you to try this with a stranger today'—it's an invitation to revive something ancient and humane: unfiltered, real-world connection. For a society struggling with loneliness, digital fatigue, and emotional burnout, it may be time to treat these micro-interactions not as throwaway moments, but as therapeutic the doctor and the startup CEO, from Harvard labs to Jaipur streets, remind us that wellness isn't always found in a prescription bottle or a productivity app. Sometimes, it's waiting in line with a stranger, ready to say hello.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Poop at work. It's good for you!
Well+Being Poop at work. It's good for you! June 6, 2025 | 2:52 PM GMT Gastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha has some tips for whether to poop on company time (yes), whether to wait (no) and how to relax while on the job.
IOL News
04-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Nervous about using the bathroom at work? A gastroenterologist shares advice
Trisha Pasricha is an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of the forthcoming 'You've Been Pooping All Wrong.' Image: Supplied Trisha Pasricha, MD I'm a second-generation gastroenterologist. In my world, no bathroom topic is off-limits. Growing up, my father, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic, spoke so excitedly to me about the awe-inspiring ways our guts work. I always knew there was no more thrilling a career out there for me (yes, the two of us are a delightful pair at dinner parties). I realize it can be hard to talk about subjects that many people consider uncomfortable, whether it's bowel leakage, hemorrhoids or the correct way to wipe. But the first step to normalizing our bodies and gut is talking openly about the things we all do every day (well, actually, it's okay if you don't poop every day.) So let's find out some of the burning bathroom questions that readers have messaged me. 1. I get shy pooping at work. How do I mitigate that? Our colons are most active in the first two hours after waking - and are further emboldened by coffee, food and exercise. So if you have coffee with breakfast in the morning, and exercise before work or perhaps sprint around to catch the train, you're physiologically priming yourself to poop on company time. You could deliberately plan a cushion in your schedule to use the bathroom before you head out the door. But if that isn't possible, here's my advice: Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ If you have to go, just go. We talk so much about the importance of self-care, but let me tell you, this is the real test. Do it for your future self. One of the colon's major jobs is to absorb water. So every second that waste sits around with nowhere to go, the colon sucks water out of it back into the bloodstream. This means that later on, that same poop will be harder, drier and more pebbly. It will not be as easy to pass. Worse, if a harder poop causes you to strain on the toilet, you put yourself at risk of hemorrhoids. Relaxation is a critical component of pooping - the anal sphincters need to feel safe. Try doing a few vagal maneuvers, such as box breathing or a Valsalva maneuver. Still, it's not easy when you can overhear Jess from accounting washing her hands for the full excruciating CDC-recommended 20-second count just a few feet away from you while you're trying to wrap up business. Find the 'safe' bathroom at work. Do your due diligence - the quietest bathroom may not be the most convenient. It may be the dark, weird one in the basement or the single-stall havens in the lobby. And once you figure out which one offers the most privacy, tell no one your secret. Create some white noise. Shuffle some toilet paper out of the holder. Cough. 'Accidentally' switch on the sound of a TikTok video on your phone. Time it at the critical moment, and who could really swear later in court what it was they heard in the stall next door? 2. Why does coffee make me go to the bathroom? Your gastrointestinal tract reacts differently depending on what you eat. For instance, a fiber-rich meal slows down the stomach, whereas a high-fat meal revs up how quickly the gut pushes its contents forward. Some studies have found that for about a third of people, coffee is a powerful stimulant of colon contractions. Both regular and decaffeinated coffee can amplify the colon's activity within four minutes of drinking it - and that boost is sustained for about 30 minutes afterward. Liquids can take around 20 minutes to pass through the stomach, but coffee can have an effect within minutes. So what gives? Scientists have hypothesized that caffeine is a strong stimulant of something called the gastro-colic reflex. When we eat, that stretching of the stomach signals to the body that we need to make more room for the incoming meal. Through that reflex, waves of contractions in the colon begin to push anything still hanging around forward - and outward. 3. How do bidets work? I'm honestly afraid to Google the real mechanics of it. I often recommend bidets because they're gentle and hygienic. But many of you have sent me questions about them. I'll start with one of the biggest concerns: How do we avoid poopy water spraying us? Let me just say, if this were remotely a regular possibility, no one would use bidets. Like, ever. Bidets would not have the cult following they so rightly have earned. Whether you're using an attachable bidet nozzle or an entire bidet seat on your toilet (these are both different from the stand-alone bidet bowls you often see in Europe), the water is absolutely not coming from the bottom of the bowl. When you connect a bidet to your indoor plumbing, the piping routes some water into the toilet bowl, per usual, and routes an entirely separate stream through the bidet nozzle. The two streams do not mix. Here's what happens next: You poop into the toilet bowl as you would, and the bidet nozzle sprays you clean. Most bidets have adjustable spray angles and pressures, so you direct the water and can easily avoid any splashing. Many models have nozzles that tuck themselves away when not in use, meaning, even if you splattered while pooping, they're shielded. Several also have a 'self-cleaning' feature, just for the nozzle. Lastly, depending on the bidet, you may still want or need to pat dry afterward. Many fancy bidet seats, in addition to being heated, have a built-in air dryer of their own - ah, the joy. 4. How do you know if it's hemorrhoids or something more serious? If you have external hemorrhoids, or prolapsed internal hemorrhoids (meaning hemorrhoids originating from inside the anal canal that pop out from time to time), you can often feel those easily. It might be like a small lump that could be tender. Internal hemorrhoids are harder to appreciate. Talk to your doctor and have them confirm. If you've experienced rectal bleeding, hemorrhoids are a very common cause - but it's important we don't miss anything more serious.
Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Gastroenterologist shares if you can really 'cure leaky gut with probiotics, digestive enzymes or other supplements'
Dr Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist, took to Instagram on May 27 to discuss 'leaky gut, one of the most common gut health concerns she hears from her patients' and how she 'explains it as a neuro-gastroenterologist'. She said that what patients call 'leaky gut' is actually what gastroenterologists call 'increased intestinal permeability'. Also read | Guts don't lie: Study explains how a weekend of cheat meals can lead to leaky gut She added, 'We have known about it for decades. If your doctor tells you 'leaky gut' is not real, they are either unfamiliar with the data or wary of how that term has been used incorrectly to mean something it is not.' Dr Pasricha also shared what causes 'leaky gut': ⦿ Ultra-processed foods ⦿ High-fat foods ⦿ Alcohol ⦿ Stress ⦿ NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) Dr Pasricha said: ''Leaky gut' is a colloquial term for increased intestinal permeability — or how easily molecules pass from inside our intestines into our bloodstreams. Some people use the term loosely as a diagnosis, claiming that a leaky gut can cause food sensitivities, bloating, brain fog, acne and fatigue. They even link it to increased frequency of infections or autoimmune conditions.' She added, 'But leaky gut is a physiological process, not a formal medical diagnosis. We all experience increased permeability from time to time. It's something that fluctuates constantly because of factors such as stress, infections and the food we eat.' Dr Pasricha said, 'Many people on social media claim you can 'cure' a leaky gut with probiotics, digestive enzymes or other supplements. These claims are not supported by scientific evidence.' In a March 2022 interview with HT Lifestyle, dietitian Lavleen Kaur had said that 'if you wish to heal a leaky gut, you must first address the root causes of the problem'. She said, 'While it's impossible to say whether leaky gut can be healed, it can surely be improved. To some extent, everyone's guts are 'leaky': our small intestine is designed to let specific particles into the rest of the body. It only becomes a concern when it begins to emit the wrong types.' She added, 'The only and best way to heal a leaky gut is to eliminate certain foods such as wheat-based products, refined oils, processed and packaged foods while adding healthy foods such as probiotics (yoghurt, dairy, and cheese), fermented vegetables, nuts and sprouted seeds to create a balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut. You can also take probiotic supplements, reduce your stress, limit your use of NSAIDs, avoid drinking and smoking and get more sleep.' Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
